noellesmagicallibrary's reviews
398 reviews

Mother Doll is not the usual type of book I would read but I saw the synopsis and it piqued my interest and I had accepted an ARC on NetGalley. (I didn’t get around to reading it before it was published and eventually listened to the audiobook from my library instead). 
I think it was the better option for myself anyway. I probably would have struggled reading the ebook. 

The narrator is amazing! She has a distinct voice for these characters and a wonderful Russian accent. 


The story starts off with Zhenia and her husband talking crap about their friend’s decision to have kids and how great it is to have a childfree life. So of course you know what’s going to happen next.. Zhenia gets pregnant. She never wanted kids before but now she’s found that she does. Her husband hasn’t changed his mind and their relationship eventually deteriorates. 

Zhenia doesn’t have a good relationship with her own mother and they’re both very bad at communicating. She’s always been closest to her babushka and she isn’t dealing well with her grandmother’s declining health. 

One day she receives a call from a stranger who tells her that he’s been speaking with her great grandmother. Her DEAD great grandmother, Irena. Through this medium, Paul, she tells the story of her life as a teen living through the Russian revolution. 


Initially, the writing style confused me. I was so lost when the first scene with Irena was presented. But this slowly made sense, and the audio narration was very helpful. 

I liked the historical fiction aspect with the Russian revolution but I didn’t like Zhenia too much — she’s selfish and horrible at communicating. 

The Scorpion and the Night Bloom is an exciting young adult fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore and mythology. Yes, there is romance, but the love for one’s family is what really shines. 

I love reading for escapism, especially when it keeps to fantasy, but I also love it for exposing me to new cultures and points of view. This book did that for me. It took me a little bit to get into this story, I wasn't so sure if I would like it initially. That definitely changed by the time I finished and I will absolutely be reading the next book. 

Àn’yīng leaves her mortal home in the Kingdom of Rivers to face the Trials in the Kingdom of Sky where a handful of winners will receive a pill of immortality. Most people choose to take the pill for themselves, but Àn’yīng is determined to win it for her mother. 

Nine years earlier, Àn’yīng watched a mó (demon) kill her father and drain half of her mother’s life force, leaving her on the verge of death. Since then Àn’yīng has been training herself to fight these demons to keep her remaining family safe.

This book gave me such Hunger Games vibes! I was feeling the same type of excitement reading Fable for the End of the World. The biggest difference is that it’s more sci-fi and features a sapphic romance.

I think this book works as a standalone but I definitely would not have minded if it was drawn out a little more into a duology-- this dystopian world is really interesting!

I liked the dual first person POV -- I don't think the love story would work if it was only told from one perspective. But with that being said, I don't understand how Inesa and Melinoë fell in love with each other so quickly. The romance was a central part of the story but it was unbelievable. 
I loved this book for the dystopian adventure and commentary on climate change, not the romance. 

Ave is a Mexican kid who moved to Kansas following their parent’s separation. In short, they hate it in the states. They don’t have any friends, almost no one speaks Spanish, and they miss their dad and older sister. But over time they discover good things about this new life while holding onto their Mexican heritage.

I loved this graphic novel -- the bright colors, the intelligent themes, the loveable characters. José Pimienta, you have a new fan! I’ll definitely be reading your previous works now.

The author’s note talks about the importance of names and how much thought was put into naming these characters, especially Ave. They were on point with the name because I did struggle pronouncing it in my head; I needed that phonetic spelling from the younger brother.

I was gifted a copy for review, all thoughts are entirely my own. Thank you Random House Graphics and TBR Beyond Tours for the opportunity.

If you have a phobia of snakes, don't read this book. 

Marshall Miller distinctly remembers the day he got his license, because it's the same day he was stopped for speeding by a police officer who doesn't seem to exist -- it was an unusually warm winter day and there was a girl crying in the back seat of the police cruiser. 

Since that day, Marshall has been seeing things that no one else does, and it's getting him in trouble. 

Lost Man's Lane reminded me of the best things about a Stephen King book -- paranormal occurrences in a small town and a journey of self-discovery for a teenage boy. It's told in this first person reflective style that makes you question if this is a fictional story ( à  la Richard Chizmar's Chasing the Boogeyman). 

I'm so glad a friend of mine suggested this book, I loved every minute. Everything comes together in the end but it is a paranormal horror so you need to suspend disbelief. 

BTW, these secondary characters are the best! 
I loved the scenes with The Weller and all of the wall climbing. 

Well damn.
This book simultaneously made me want to be an Olympic ice dancer and also never stop foot on an ice rink.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!


As for the romance, eh whatever. I didn't like Heath and I didn't care about their romantic relationship as much as their dancing partnership. But I was really into the whole journey to the Olympics and the daily grind of training.
The documentary style works so SO well and it's excellent for an audiobook.

Not sure if "Ellis Dean" was the best choice of name though, because at 1.75 speed, it sounded like "LSD" every time I heard it.


EDIT:
A friend of mine loathed this book and she made some really good points. 
Kat outs Garrett and she has no remorse, doesn't even apologize to him. 

And then there were two specific lines in the acknowledgments that were just icky:
One about how her husband "watched more figure skating than perhaps any man straight man alive"
The other gives a shout out to Cymbalta (I love that), but she said "because a depressed person could not have written this" (I don't love that)


I want to say once more that I really disliked the romance in this story but loved the skating. 

Ok, let's be real--You already know if you want to read Onyx Storm. You're either on the Fourth Wing bandwagon or you're not. No one's coming to my review to decide  if they want to read this book. 
 
This review is just for me so I can remember what I did and did not like, and there will probably definitely be spoilers. 
In a nutshell, I'm here for the dragons. Andarna is my girl and Tairn is king. I literally laugh out loud at some of the things they say. I was heartbroken when Andarna left but that whole subplot was a little weak. Like I get how her breed of dragons are peaceful and they don't want to accept her because of the fighting and Violet's choices, BUT, the fact that she left only to come back at the last minute? Nah. 

I really liked the adventure and questing in this one. It was a lot fun visiting the other islands and decoding the secrets from the books. I like that we started getting more answers to Violet's childhood -- it seems her dad tried to dedicate her to one of the gods and I'm interested to see where that storyline goes. 

What I don't really get is the love for Xaden. Sure, he's written as physically attractive but in my opinion he's broody and boring and I feel like he doesn't have a personality. I just don't see the appeal. 
And because of that, I don't care about the romance. 
Also, I'm not here for the Xaden-venin subplot. Couldn't the rest of the story just be about defeating the venin without one of the main characters turning? Honestly, when that happened at the end of the second book I rolled my eyes and thought "of course he turned venin". It just feels like cheap way to stir up some drama and raise the stakes.

This is the first time I’ve seen a graphic novel (or any type of novel) with interactive QR codes — it makes for a fun learning experience, especially for younger readers. 

I knew nothing about the Chittagong Hills Tract or the history of Bangladesh before reading Displaced. I’m far from an expert now but I am far more knowledgeable. 

This story follows a young boy, Goshway, growing up in the CHT, becoming a refugee and then returning to his home years later. Through it all he maintains his happiness and love of learning.  

Goshway’s life was incredibly difficult, but as a reader I am so intrigued and I wish I could read more about his life of advocacy as an adult. 

I was gifted a copy for review, all thoughts are entirely my own. Thank you THENCE  and Kate Rock Book Tours for the opportunity.

I think this book is great for anyone who practices and those who are just curious about the history of magickal plants. 

The artwork is so beautiful and cozy. This book wouldn’t be the same without it. 

I learned a lot and it seems that a lot of research has gone into it. 

I was given an advanced copy for review, all thoughts are entirely my own. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity. 

Horror author Ben Bookman is at a book signing for his newest release while the cops are at a crime scene that is an exact replica of one of the scenes in that new book. 

Ben becomes a person of interest, especially because more murders modeled after his book have been discovered. 

In the town of Crooked Tree, nightmares come to life.  


Superb. I loved it! 
There’s something about the mix of dreams and horror that makes for a potentially great story and J. H. Markert delivered. He takes a typical murder/detective plot and blends in elements of the supernatural to create a compelling horror story.